Within
by Khandy Raynne
Summary: Orphaned at a young age, Ulquiorra Cifer meets the shinigami Orihime Inoue when she saves him from certain death. After meeting her, Ulquiorra's life changes completely and maybe he'll learn to love again. AU
1. Chapter 1: Beginning

**Within**

**Chapter 1: Beginning**

* * *

Kokoro Akihito ran down the Dangai. Without a hell butterfly, she knew that her time inside the void was limited and she had to hurry. She glanced behind her and saw nothing. She faced forward and tripped. Kokoro stumbled for a few feet as she tried to regain her equilibrium and footing. It was significantly harder to Ddo with her body weight trying to pull her downward. Finally, her balance completely left her and she fell to the ground of the dangai. During her fall, she had managed to turn her body so that she landed on her side.

"My ankle..." Kokoro pulled herself into a sitting position to look at her right foot. Sure enough, her ankle already looked like it was starting to swell. She simply twisted it, but that did not make it any less painful. She looked around where she was sitting. "I need to continue on before the Kōryū traps me." She picked herself up off the ground and continued running despite her injured ankle.

She had been running for maybe 5 more minutes before a sharp pain caused her to stumble. Kokoro managed to stay on her feet this time and dismissed the pain. A few seconds later, it happened again. Kokoro placed a hand on her womb, flinching as the pain ran through her again. It was almost debilitating. She gasped as she looked down. _My water broke_...

The exit to the Dangai was coming into view. If Kokoro could just make it out of the dark and cold tunnel, she would be free. She could seek help. She sighed with relief when she jumped through the square doorway. She landed on her feet but immediately crumpled to her knees. She was on top of some building. Rolling over on her back, Kokoro realized that she could not move any further. She'd escaped from Soul Society but what would happen now?

* * *

Yoruichi Shihouin blinked when she noticed a strange reiatsu enter the living world. She looked up from her position on a pillow. Her best friend, Kisuke Urahara, was acting as oblivious as he always did. Still in her cat form, Yoruichi stood up and stretched. After taking a few steps forward, she transformed into her original form.

Urahara smirked and looked over at Yoruichi. She was getting dressed. "Curious to see what just entered our world from Soul Society?" he inquired. Yoruichi glared down at him as she slipped her shoes on. "Just be back before dinner."

The cat-woman rolled her eyes and left the Urahara Shoten. When she found the source of the new reiatsu, she was not prepared for the sight. A young woman was lying on the roof of an apartment complex, breathing heavily and holding her swollen womb. _Oh my god_... Yoruichi wasted no time in scooping the young woman up and flashing back to Urahara's.

Urahara was not expecting Yoruichi to return so soon. He was also not expecting to see a young woman in her arms. He was up from his seat immediately to assist Yoruichi. "Where did you find her? Who is she?"

Yoruichi shrugged as she handed the woman over to Urahara. "I found her on the roof of an apartment complex along with this." She held up a zanpakuto in a white sheath. "She's clearly just come from Soul Society. It looks like her foot is injured as well. I wouldn't venture too far off to think that she is in labor, either," she replied. "I never got her name. She barely appears to know that she's even been rescued. I'll call for Tessai."

As Urahara laid the girl down on a futon in the back of his store, the girl grasped his shoulder. He looked down at her, taking in her features. She had vivid green eyes that were clouded with pain. Her skin was flushed and she was feverish. Her mouth was moving. Urahara leaned down to listen to what she was trying to say.

Yoruichi returned with Tessai. The kido master immediately went to work while Urahara pulled Yoruichi out of the room momentarily. "What's going on, Kisuke? Did she say anything?"

"Her name is Kokoro Akihito and she asked me to help her. I don't know why she ran from Soul Society, though. Why would she run when..."

A scream ripped through the air, silencing Urahara. Yoruichi immediately ran from his side and into the room. Deciding it was better to preserve his sanity, Urahara figured it would be best if he waited outside until the birthing was over. The screams only grew worse. He could hear Yoruichi providing words of comfort to the young woman. Tessai largely remained silent. Then all grew quiet. Urahara stepped up closely to the door of the room. He listened closely for any noise, but mostly to hear a child crying. But he heard nothing.

The cat-woman came out of the room. She was removing her orange shirt as she did so. From what Urahara could see, it was quite dirty. Balling it up, Yoruichi tucked it under her arm and glanced up at Urahara. "The baby is fine. It's a boy. The girl passed out after seeing the baby. Tessai says she fine for the moment but he isn't sure she'll recover enough. The child... is different."

Urahara narrowed his eyes. He could feel the child's minimal but strong reiatsu. It was quite powerful for a newborn. It did not take long for him to deduce that the child's reiatsu was the one they had felt when the young woman had arrived in the living world. The child's reiatsu was also quite dark and distorted. "I wonder if the child is why she ran from Soul Society. Surely Captain Unohana would've assisted this young girl. By the way she's dressed, she had to have at least been quite well off."

Yoruichi nodded. The name _Akihito_ rang no bells in her memory. Usually, only the nobles conceived and bore children. Sometimes even shinigami would have children. It was rare for normal pluses to have children, though. When Kokoro awoke, Yoruichi would have to ask her some questions. She went back inside the room to see Tessai putting a cover over Kokoro. The young woman had fallen asleep.

"She'll be fine for now. She just needs rest. Her body needs to replenish itself. The child... was a bit of a strain," Tessai said quietly. He picked up a bundle from the basket of sheets and handed him over to Yoruichi.

The cat-woman examined the child. He was clean now and she could examine his features closer. There was a small tuft of black hair on his head. His skin was so pale it was ghostly. That concerned Yoruichi the most. She looked up at Tessai. "He's so tiny. Is he supposed to be this pale?" she inquired.

"Most children do not gain their true coloring until a few months into their new life. You can usually tell what their skin tone will be by the color of their ears."

Yoruichi looked at the baby's ears. They were only slightly darker than the rest of the child. He was not going to gain the same complexion as his mother. Yoruichi could only guess that he took after his father, whoever that might be. Yoruichi back at the baby's face. As she stared at him, he began to shift in her arms. He opened his eyes and looked directly into Yoruichi's golden ones.

Never had she seen such a pure color. She had seen his mother's eyes. During the delivery, she'd noticed his mother's pained eyes were green. The baby's eyes were the same color, but they seemed to have more life in them. It amazed Yoruichi that the child had yet to make a single sound. There had been a bit of coughing and spluttering to clear his lungs after he was born but other than that, he'd remained completely silent. He'd gone to sleep for a moment and now he was awake and seemingly sizing Yoruichi up. It was as if he was assessing his situation.

"He looks like he's contemplating the different ways he could escape from you." Urahara had come up behind Yoruichi and peered over her shoulder. The child switched his gaze to him. "Have you ever seen such inquisitive eyes?"

"Eyes that thirst for knowledge. This is definitely a strange child." Yoruichi watched Urahara turn to walk away. "Where are you going?"

"There was a reason Miss Akihito ran from Soul Society. I highly doubt that now that she's had her child that she would want to go back," he said as he disappeared around the corner. Yoruichi knew that only meant that he was going to devise a way to hide the mother and child; give them gigai perhaps. He so loved playing the good Samaritan. She looked back down at the child who was once again staring directly at her.

* * *

Kokoro's eyes opened. She felt sore all over. She slowly managed to sit up and marveled at how simple it seemed to be. Then her eyes widened. She glanced down at her body, noticing something was missing. Shakily, she threw the covers off of her and got to her feet. As fast as she could, she stumbled over to the door of the room, not noticing that her foot no longer hurt. She pulled it open and fell. Before she hit the ground, slender arms grabbed her own arms.

"You should not be up," the woman who held her said firmly. Kokoro fought to get out of her grasp but her attempts were weak. "Calm down. You're safe here."

Hearing the word _safe_ calmed Kokoro somewhat. She stopped struggling and looked up at Yoruichi. "Baby?" she whispered. Her throat was dry and her voice was hoarse.

"He's fine."

Kokoro nodded as the woman helped her sit back on the futon. Then she realized what she said. "He?"

"Yes, your baby is a boy. He's healthy and very quiet." The woman left the room. Barely a minute had passed when she returned with a small bundle in her arms. She carefully handed the newborn over to Kokoro.

Kokoro sighed with relief as she looked down at her child. He was sleeping soundly and he appeared as healthy as they came. "He's so tiny. He's so very beautiful," she said, her voice cracking again. Tears started to form in her eyes. "I cannot thank you enough for helping me..."

"Yoruichi Shihouin. It was no problem. He has your eyes," she said.

The new mother glanced down at her son. As if sensing her presence, he opened his eyes with a tiny yawn. Kokoro was taken aback by how stunning they were. They were the same color as her own, but they were his sire's shape. They even held that special quality that his father's did. They seemed almost reptilian in nature. "Thank you, Miss Shihouin."

"Please call me Yoruichi," the woman said as the newborn made a noise that almost sounded like a laugh. "That's the first sound he's made since he was born. I guess he saved his voice so that his mother would be the first to hear it."

Kokoro laughed softly. She grew serious and looked at Yoruichi. "I guess you want to know why I've fled from Soul Society," she said. She was surprised when Yoruichi shook her head. "You don't?"

Yoruichi shook her head once more. "I'm not going to pry the answers from you. When you're ready to talk, I will be there to listen. Right now, all I'm concerned with is the health of you and your child. It's not every day you stumble across a pregnant shinigami in labor, let alone in the living world. By the way, have you figured out what you're going to name him?"

The new mother looked back down at her child. He had started to snuggle against her. She held his tiny body closer. He smelled like most babies did. "Ulquiorra," Kokoro replied. "His name will be Ulquiorra Cifer."

"Cifer?" Yoruichi figured the name was related to whoever the child's father was. She watched Kokoro for a few moments more. The mother was humming softly, lulling the child back to sleep. The baby's reiatsu fluctuated a bit for a moment and Yoruichi's eyes widened. The child was already back to sleep. She doubted that Kokoro had felt the slight variation and if she had she gave absolutely no indication that she did.

Kokoro had felt it but did not act on it. Considering who Ulquiorra's father was, his abnormal reiatsu was to be expected. She gave the child back to Yoruichi and the cat-woman took the child back to his crib. Yoruichi returned a few moments later and resumed her seat. She could tell Kokoro was ready to talk and she waited patiently, not wanting to rush the girl.

"They wanted to take him from me. They wanted to use him as some sort of science experiment. I refused to place him under that. He's only a baby. Who uses children to experiment on?"

"I assume Captain Kurotsuchi was behind this?" Yoruichi asked. Kokoro nodded her head. "sounds like something he'd do."

"The Captain Commander originally planned on just killing him but Captain Kurotsuchi thought my baby would be of more use if he could _examine_ him. The way he looked at me made my skin crawl. I knew I had to run, so I did. I faked my labor and got out as fast as I could. I didn't know I would actually go into labor in the Dangai." Kokoro finished with a small laugh.

"Why would Yamamoto and Kurotsuchi even be concerned with your child? Babies are born to those powerful enough to conceive them all the time," Yoruichi stated.

"Because the little one is half hollow," Urahara said from the doorway. He walked in and stood next to Yoruichi. Kokoro nodded, bowing her head. "While this circumstance definitely piques my curiosity, I will not press you tell us how you became with child."

Kokoro sighed. "Cifer was his name. Our situation was... special."

"Are you a shinigami?"

"Yes. I'm the fifth seat of the Eighth. I overheard Captain Kyoraku talking to Captain Ukitake about the exiled shinigami in the living world. After hearing that, I didn't waste any time. I left everything except for my zanpakuto and escaped that night after faking my labor. I didn't mean to intrude. I just... I had nowhere else to go. I couldn't let them take my baby." Tears were beginning to fill Kokoro's eyes. She was afraid that they would kick her out.

Urahara looked at Yoruichi who just shrugged. The scientist turned his gaze back to the teary Kokoro. "It would seem that Captain Kyoraku expected you to take off," he said with a sly smile. Kokoro looked at him through her glassy eyes. "Why else would he have mentioned _exiled shinigami in the living world_ right in front of you?"

Kokoro had never thought of it like that. Her captain had been completely against what Yamamoto and Kurotsuchi were trying to do. He had calmly explained to her that his hands were tied. Honestly, she had never thought about fleeing Soul Society entirely until Kyoraku had offhandedly mentioned that Urahara was in the living world. _But what do I do now? I have nowhere else to go. How will I live in the transient world_?

"I can make you and your son gigais. They will hide your reiatsu so that you may live here in peace and undetected," Urahara said.

"You... You can do that?"

"Of course, my dear! I can do a great many things." Urahara's smile reappeared as he opened his fan up. "I must say that your son's reiatsu is exceptionally high for a newborn. It'll only get higher as he gets older. Someone with that level of reiatsu is bound to draw the attention of Soul Society sooner or later."

"What are you suggesting?" Kokoro was willing to do anything to make sure her son survived and was kept away from the Gotei 13. "What do I have to do?"

"To make sure that your son is never put under suspicion, I'll have to put him in a gigai that not only hides his reiatsu, but turns him into a human."

Kokoro sat there for a moment and soaked in what Urahara was telling her. "Human?" She looked down at her fingers as they fiddled with the tie on the new yukata she wore. "Will he grow like a human boy? Will he be able to live a full life?"

"He'll age and grow like a normal human. When the time comes, he'll die and most likely go to Soul Society then. His reiatsu will still be high for a human, but it won't alarm any shinigami of his presence due to the density of reiatsu in Karakura Town," Urahara responded. He watched Kokoro nod and smile. "Will you go through with it?"

"Yes," the new mother answered without hesitation. Urahara nodded and left the room. Kokoro looked back at Yoruichi. "Thank you."

* * *

_**5 years later...**_

Kokoro leaned back on the park bench, taking in the fresh spring air. She ran a hand through her shortened auburn hair. Since going into hiding, Kokoro had kept her hair short. It had taken her a little over 4 months to become fully human through her special gigai though she kept her abilities as a shinigami just in case. She'd retained her ability to sense reiatsu and see spirits, though she never drew her zanpakuto anymore. Kokoro had a feeling the same was for her son, as she watched him sit on the swings.

Ulquiorra had grown into a very sharp 5-year-old. Kokoro had long ago given up trying to tame his mop of black hair. Instead, she kept it cut so that he could at least see. He was still as pale as the full moon while his eyes were still large and green. He was a very inquisitive boy and was extremely smart. He was so smart that he was a year ahead in his school. Being the youngest and smartest did not make him many friends. In fact, other children seemed to avoid him as if he was a plague.

His mother's happy face dropped when she thought of how lonely her son must be. He never let her see it, but she could tell by the way he looked at the other children playing. Even now Ulquiorra sat alone on the swings while other children played on the slides and jungle gyms. Kokoro watched Ulquiorra barely swing back and forth. Sighing, she got up and walked over to him.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened a bit when he felt someone push him. He turned his head around to see his mother smiling down at him. He faced forward again and began pumping his legs. When he was high enough, Kokoro walked around him and sat in the swing beside him. She too began to swing alongside her son.

Kokoro's eyes widened when she heard the unmistakable screech of a hollow. She kept swinging, so as not to alarm her son. He did not seem to notice and kept swinging. Kokoro slowed down and stepped off the swing. She glanced around for a few moments more before looking at her son. "Come on, Ulquiorra." Ulquiorra slowed down quickly. He never kept his mother waiting for anything. He immediately hurried over to her and stood silently. Kokoro took his hand and they left the playground quickly.

_Today might be that day_...

* * *

After spending the first year at Urahara's to establish herself, Kokoro had moved to an apartment not far from the playground she was just at. She ushered Ulquiorra inside. The boy still had yet to speak and question why his playtime was cut short. He went about removing his shoes carefully. Kokoro locked the door, watching him. She ruffled his hair and headed towards the kitchen.

Ulquiorra watched his mother go before heading to the living room. He climbed into the big armchair and sat quietly. Looking towards the window, he noticed something outside on the balcony. Ulquiorra turned his head, listening to his mother moving things in the kitchen. Ulquiorra turned back towards the balcony's glass doors. He climbed back down off the chair and walked towards the doors. Standing on the tips of his toes, Ulquiorra undid the lock with ease and opened the door.

Outside, there was a masked being standing on the railing of the balcony. Its masked reminded Ulquiorra of the masks that people wore during the festivals. He stared up at it, unafraid. The being stepped down from the railing and directly in front of Ulquiorra. The two regarded one another silently. Ulquiorra took note of the large hole in the being's chest and the large bat-like wings. Hard yellow eyes stared down at him.

"You're a hollow," Ulquiorra said suddenly. The hollow kneeled down to Ulquiorra's level. Ulquiorra's eyes never left its own. "Miss Yoruichi says all hollows have holes in their bodies. Yours is right there." He pointed to the large hole.

The hollow, humanoid in size and shape, nodded slowly. "I'm surprised you can see me." His voice was dark and deep.

"Can't everyone?"

Kokoro's eyes widened when she turned the corner into the living room. She was carrying a tray of snacks for both her and Ulquiorra. The tray slipped from her hands when she saw who Ulquiorra was talking with. She stepped over the mess she made and ran to the balcony. She pulled Ulquiorra back and looked up at the hollow. "Cifer..."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened in confusion. This hollow had the same name as him? He looked up at his mother. Her expression was hard to place. She looked surprised and worried at the same time. Ulquiorra moved closer to his mother's right leg and peered out from behind her. Kokoro and the hollow were just looking at one another.

"What are you doing here?" Kokoro asked sharply. Her eyes moved from side to side, making sure no one was watching. Regular humans could not see, but spiritually aware ones would be able to see a humanoid hollow with wings standing on her porch. "You can't be here. It's too dangerous."

The hollow raised its clawed right hand and took hold of its mask. With a few sharp movements, it cracked off, revealing a very familiar face. The hollow looked just like Ulquiorra right down to his inky black hair. Besides his face being adorned with thick black tear marks and having no baby fat, his eyes were a deep yellow surrounded by a green sclera. "It's nice to see you as well, Kokoro."

Kokoro narrowed her eyes. Then her features softened and placed a hand on Ulquiorra's head. "You allowed other hollows in to take the attention off of you. You're also suppressing your reiatsu immensely. That's why I didn't sense you. How did..."

"He saw me." Cifer looked down at Ulquiorra. Kokoro nudged him softly. The boy came from behind her legs and faced him once again. "Do you know who I am?"

Ulquiorra shook his head. "No, but Mommy called you _Cifer_, like me. My name is Ulquiorra Cifer. You look like me, too." Ulquiorra glanced up at Kokoro. "This is my father, Mommy?"

Kokoro smiled, her eyes becoming watery. _That's Ulquiorra. He's always been such a perceptive child_, she thought as she nodded her affirmation. She watched Ulquiorra look back at Cifer. It looked like the child was sizing Cifer up. It was almost comical to see. Kokoro never knew if her son was planning something when he observed people. However, he only observed and never spoke on his observations.

"He's grown quickly," Cifer stated. He noticed Kokoro avert her eyes. "What is it?"

"Ear muffs, Ulqui." Ulquiorra immediately put his hands up. He watched his mother tell his father something. The hollow's eyes widened before narrowing in what appeared to be anger. Kokoro said something that seemed to make the hollow's expression soften a bit. He looked back down at Ulquiorra and back up to Kokoro before nodding. Kokoro looked down at him and nodded. Ulquiorra uncovered his ears.

Before anything else could be said, Cifer's wings suddenly spread. Kokoro kneeled, taking Ulquiorra into her arms and shielding him. Unfazed, Ulquiorra tried to peer through his mother's arms at whatever was causing such a racket behind Cifer. There were a few people standing in midair. They wore black and held weapons of different sorts. Ulquiorra turned his sights to Cifer. The hollow swiped his hand across his face, forming another mask over it. He glanced down at Ulquiorra once more.

"Get inside," he said to Kokoro. She did not hesitate and pulled Ulquiorra inside with her. She shut and locked the glass door and drew the curtains.

Ulquiorra was curious about the fight going on outside. His mother pulled him away from the balcony doors and into her bedroom. There, she drew the curtains and sat with Ulquiorra on the bed. He looked up at his mother. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing the tears running down her face.

Kokoro looked down at her son. She smiled at him and pulled him into a hug. "Do you remember our drill, Ulqui?" she asked as a loud noise was heard from the front of the apartment. Ulquiorra nodded while in her embrace. "I need you to follow those steps. Remember everything I told you." She visibly jumped as she heard more noise. Kokoro released her son and looked down at him.

"Mommy, what's..." Before he could finish talking, Kokoro struck him in the back of his neck. He slumped into her arms. She picked him up and carried him to the closet. While in the closet, she opened another small door and placed her unconscious son inside. She closed the door and exited the closet, more tears starting to stream down her face.

Kokoro walked over to her nightstand and opened the third drawer. Sitting on top of a few books was a soul candy. She popped it in her mouth and stepped out of her human body just as another loud noise startled her. She looked at her human body. "Stay here," she said. The mod soul occupying her body nodded and sat on the bed. Kokoro drew her zanpakuto and left the room.

* * *

Almost three hours later, Yoruichi walked into the trashed apartment. Shaking her head, she continued to Kokoro's bedroom. She found that Kokoro's human body was still there, throat slit and with mod soul pellet on the floor. Sighing at the gruesome sight, she continued straight to the closet and went to the compartment inside. Upon her touch, it opened.

It was a room made especially for situations like this. Kokoro had known her time was limited and had planned accordingly. Urahara had invented something akin to a _negación_ that completely hid a person and their reiatsu. The door to the small space had been made to only respond to three people: Kokoro, Urahara, and Yoruichi. Yoruichi peered inside the small space.

Ulquiorra was still unconscious. He was breathing steadily as if he were only asleep. Yoruichi pulled him out of the space and hefted him up. She collected a few other things and left the apartment behind forever.


	2. Chapter 2: A New Assignment

**Within**

**Chapter 2: A New Assignment**

* * *

_**15 years later...**_

Orihime Inoue was very excited. She was more excited than she should be. While it was her first assignment in the world of the living, she was being given a very serious mission. According to Captain Ukitake, there were more hollow appearances than usual lately. Orihime's task was to see what the cause was and to attempt to fix it. If she needed help, she was to report back to Ukitake so he could send reinforcements.

"Are you ready?" Rukia Kuchiki, the 13th Division's vice-captain, asked as she walked up behind Orihime. The redhead nodded. "Try not to get sidetracked like I did," she said with a laugh. Rukia had encountered someone in the living world that had been essential in a conflict about two years ago.

"Well, I don't think there's anyone else that could cause as much trouble as Ichigo did," Orihime said with a laugh. "Hopefully this isn't too bad a problem and can be solved with ease."

Rukia nodded. "Okay. Just make sure you have fun too. Oh and did you find a place to stay? Renji usually stayed with Urahara, but they made him work for his keep."

Orihime nodded. "Vice-Captain Matsumoto said she still has an apartment there. She gave me the keys to it. Apparently there's a lot of clothes there too so I should be able to just wear whatever is there," she replied. Rukia nodded as well. "This is definitely going to be different."

"We all have to spread our wings sometimes." Rukia nudged Orihime towards the Senkaimon as it opened. "And don't forget to have fun!"

* * *

Urahara was expecting the red-haired shinigami to enter his shop at least ten minutes earlier. When she finally fumbled through the door, she made such a racket that Ururu had come to the front armed and ready to fight. He turned and looked at the girl. She was just as Ukitake had described her; pretty, smiley, and green.

Orihime looked around the strange shop. A lot of the stuff for sale was illegal in Soul Society. She had a feeling this is where Rangiku Matsumoto got her knickknacks. She looked up towards the front of the store and saw a man standing at the counter, hiding his face with a fan and his eyes shielded by the hat he wore. "Uh, I'm looking for Kisuke Urahara. Am I in the right place?"

Urahara lowered his fan. "Well, I can see you and you can see me. Does that tell you anything?"

"There are plenty of spiritually-aware people in Karakura. I've been told that much."

"Well, you are correct. I am Kisuke Urahara. How may I be of service, Miss..."

"Inoue, Orihime Inoue. You can just call me Orihime though. I was told I could get a gigai and soul candy from here. Rukia recommended the Chappy," Orihime said as she made it to the counter. Urahara nodded and left the counter. A moment later, he returned with a basket filled with things. Orihime looked down at it. "What's all this?" she asked.

"Since you're new, and really cute, I've decided to set you up with what I call a _Shinigami Survival Package_. You have soul candy, backup soul candy, a memory modifier, a charger for your cell phone..." He went on and on. When he was done, he smiled at Orihime again.

"So, uh, how much is all of this?"

"Well, since you're _so cute_..."

* * *

20-year-old Ulquiorra Cifer opened his eyes as his alarm clock went off. He slowly sat up as if he was rising from the dead. With the curtains drawn, the room was extremely dark. Ulquiorra turned his head to the right and reached out for the alarm clock. After shutting it off, he put his feet on the floor and stood up. His feet automatically found his slippers. He walked to the bathroom and went about his daily hygiene routine in his usual methodical way.

After dressing in a pair of gray slacks, black long-sleeved shirt, and a green scarf, he headed to the spotless kitchen in his apartment. It took Ulquiorra all of 10 minutes to make a meal comprised of an egg and cheese bagel and orange juice. He sat at the small but clean table in the kitchen and ate quickly and silently. After cleaning his mess, he headed for the front door. He pulled on his boots and opened the door.

As Ulquiorra stepped outside his apartment, he was nearly trampled over by a girl carrying a large box with a basket balancing on top. He immediately stepped back to avoid her, as she was clearly not watching where she was going. For a moment, he watched her silently. He found her strength to be interesting; the box she held had to weigh more than she did. She managed to prop the box up on one knee and try to balance on one foot while attempting to unlock the door. She wobbled as she leaned back to put the key in. Seeing that this could only end in tragedy, Ulquiorra stepped forward.

"Perhaps I could be of assistance," he said. The girl nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw him. She lost her balance and everything started to fall. Ulquiorra's reflexes were faster than her descent and he managed to catch her before she fell. "I will take the box." He pulled her upright.

The girl nodded and handed the box over. "Thanks. In hindsight, I probably should've put the box down in order to open the door. What was I thinking?" She giggled as she smiled at him. The two stared at one another for a moment in complete silence. She squirmed under Ulquiorra's stare. Then, as if remembering some long lost secret, she squeaked and moved towards the door. "Sorry! I almost forgot why I was here!" She unlocked the door hurriedly and opened it.

Ulquiorra followed after her into the apartment. From what he could see, the place was furnished but everything had white sheets draped over them. Ulquiorra had only just returned from living in Kagamino City for five years, so he had no idea anyone had moved into the apartment next to his. He stood in the middle of the living room, holding the box as the girl flitted around the place.

She seemed to notice Ulquiorra just standing there. "Oh! You can put it..." She glanced around and bit her lip. "I'll just take it." She lifted it again from him and disappeared down a hallway. Ulquiorra slid his hands back into his pockets and turned to leave, but her voice stopped him before he got over the threshold. He turned and faced her. "Thanks for helping me out..." She seemed to be waiting for him to respond.

"Cifer. Ulquiorra Cifer," he replied. She held out her hand and he looked down at it. He shook her hand and she smiled brightly. With her red hair and bright eyes, he was reminded of his mother and how she had smiled when she looked at him.

"Well, Mr. Cifer, my name is Orihime Inoue. It's nice to meet you." She held on to his hand a little longer than he would have liked. When she realized what she was doing, she let him go and smiled nervously. "Thanks."

"You have thanked me three times now," he said.

Orihime raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well, I guess a fourth won't hurt. Thanks again, Mr. Cifer."

"Ulquiorra." She looked at him questioningly. Ulquiorra turned to leave. When he got to the door, he glanced back at her. "Just call me Ulquiorra." He disappeared out of the door.

Orihime walked towards the door and peered out into the hallway. Ulquiorra was already gone. "Wow. He moves fast," she whispered. She closed the door and walked back inside the apartment. Glancing around, she sighed and went to the back where the bedroom was. She plopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "He had gorgeous eyes," she whispered. She barely heard her cell phone going off.

Jumping as the noise finally came to her ears, Orihime ran back inside to pick it up. There was a message from Rangiku on there. Smiling, Orihime opened it.

* * *

Ulquiorra walked briskly down the street. He was headed to meet Urahara. The man had called the night before as soon as Ulquiorra had entered his old apartment. Ulquiorra had not expected anything less. The man had a habit of either calling or just showing up out of nowhere when it came to him. He always said he needed to check up on Ulquiorra.

Jinta was outside sweeping when Ulquiorra walked up to Urahara Shoten. The boy saw Ulquiorra coming and let up on his sweeping. The two regarded one another silently. As soon as Ulquiorra stepped on the porch, a girl came bounding out of the doorway and straight into Ulquiorra's chest. Ururu clung to him in an embrace.

"Oh let him go, Ururu! He just got here!" Jinta yelled at her.

Ururu eased up off of Ulquiorra. "I am sorry. I am just happy to see you, Ulquiorra. Kisuke is inside waiting for..."

"Well, if it isn't Little Ulqui!" Urahara stood at the door smiling at Ulquiorra. The young man sent a look his way that could melt glaciers. "Why are you trying to set me aflame with your eyes, Little Ul..." Urahara was cut off mid-sentence by Ulquiorra's elbow to his nose. The shorter male passed Urahara up and headed into the store.

Inside, Ulquiorra went to the back. He could hear Urahara behind him, mumbling something about _disrespectful young people_. "Why did you call me here? I've only just gotten back from Kagamino City."

"Yes, yes. You're due to start graduate school soon. I remember the details. I just wanted to see how you were feeling. How was Kagamino City?" Urahara asked. He took a seat on a pillow and gestured for Ulquiorra to do the same. The younger man sat down across from Urahara. He shrugged and Urahara smiled again. "You know I always check on you. Besides, she'd be angry if you never came to say hi." His smile turned into a devious grin.

Ulquiorra barely had time to process what Urahara said before he felt weight on the back of his head. His eyes narrowed minutely. His head was settled firmly between two breasts. "Hello, Miss Yoruichi," he said dryly. Arms snaked around his head and pulled him closer into the heaving bosom behind him.

"I have missed you so much, Little Ulqui," Yoruichi said as she squeezed Ulquiorra from behind. She released him and sat adjacent to him and Urahara. "We'd never see you if we didn't specifically request your presence."

"Forgive me, Miss Yoruichi. I have just been extremely busy. I have plenty of time until the semester starts, though. I can spend as much time with you as you want," Ulquiorra said.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. _He's so much like Byakuya it frightens me. At least Byakuya had some fight in him, though_, she thought. She looked closer at him and smiled. _He still has his mother's eyes_.

"Since you've volunteered to spend time here, why don't you go watch over the shop for a few minutes? Yoruichi and I have some business we need to talk about," Urahara said, interrupting Yoruichi's train of thought. Ulquiorra stared blankly at him for a moment before nodding and leaving the room. Urahara looked over at Yoruichi. "He hasn't changed much."

"See? Your concerns about his gigai having problems are completely unfounded. You're worrying too much, Kisuke," Yoruichi said.

Urahara shook his head. "I'm not worried about his gigai. This new influx of hollows isn't just random. They have an agenda. I don't know what it is yet, but if I had to guess it would be something to do with Ulquiorra."

"So what you are worried about is something compromising his gigai. By now, shouldn't the gigai have bonded completely with his soul? He should be completely human. It's been twenty years." The cat-woman noticed Urahara's eyes narrow slightly. "There lies the problem, am I right?"

"Why yes, you are. If Ulquiorra were any other run-of-the-mill shinigami or hollow, he would have been completely human almost fifteen years ago. However, his reiatsu is too great for it to be tempered. All the gigai is doing is containing it. If something were to ever separate his soul from the gigai, the results could be catastrophic."

Yoruichi nodded. "So are we talking _end of the world_ catastrophic or _highly inconvenient_ catastrophic?"

"Well, that depends on which side of Ulquiorra's lineage is strongest or which steps to the forefront. Ulquiorra could end up being like the others or something far more terrifying," Urahara replied, looking towards the door. He could hear Ulquiorra discussing something with a customer. "Do you think we should tell him?"

"Kisuke, you know we can't. She told us never to tell him if we could help it."

Urahara nodded slowly. "I know," he looked over at Yoruichi, "but what if we can't?"

* * *

Orihime sat on the couch in the apartment, flipping through channels on the large TV. She had always been curious about the electronics in the living world. She only had Rangiku and Rukia's knowledge of them to go off of. It had not taken her long to get the hang of using the remote. She could get most of that stuff down. What puzzled Orihime the most was what she was watching.

_Half of this stuff doesn't even make sense_, Orihime mused as she watched something that appeared to be some sort of contest show. She took her eyes off the screen and looked towards the box.

Urahara's _welcome basket_ had turned out to be a box full of items Orihime might never use. There were a lot of things inside of it that she was sure was illegal in Soul Society. Urahara had been kind enough to give her a communication device that she could use in lieu of her phone to contact Soul Society. The only problem is that it would take Orihime forever to set it up. She also could not think of a reason she would need to actually see anyone back at Soul Society but she supposed it was better to be safe than sorry.

The loud growl of her stomach brought Orihime back from her thoughts. She stood up and headed to the kitchen. Rangiku had left lots of canned food in the pantry. Orihime looked at the various kinds of canned tuna. She grabbed a can of spicy pepper tuna along with a can of red beans. She found a bowl and mixed the contents of both cans before heading back to the living room to continue watching TV.

As soon as the redhead polished off her food, she sat back on the couch and burped. Orihime clapped a hand over her mouth and giggled. She'd forgotten that she was alone. Just as she giggled at the thought of thinking someone was watching her, she was heard the unmistakable howl of a hollow. Rising from her seat, Orihime ran back to the bedroom to find her soul candy.

* * *

Ulquiorra was on his way back from Urahara's (carrying a packed dinner from Tessai) when he heard the howl. He had to blink a few times. It had been so long since he'd heard the screeching of a hollow that he almost forgot what it sounded like. Kagamino City had its fair share of wandering souls but not nearly as many hollow sightings as Karakura Town. Ulquiorra did not let the sound deter him from heading towards his intended destination.

His eyes could only widen slightly as a clawed hand barely missed his face. Instead, the hand went into the building to his right. Ulquiorra had to dodge falling debris to keep from getting crushed. He dodged straight into another large hand. This time he was hit and was flung into a building across the street. People in the surrounding area stood, dazed and confused as to what was happening.

Ulquiorra pulled himself up from out of the crater on the wall he hit. He knew he was built a lot tougher than the average person, but even being thrown into a brick wall was uncomfortable for him. He was sure he was bleeding from somewhere on his head. What struck him as odd was the fact that this was the first time he had ever been attacked by a hollow. He looked around to see if he could see anything besides the hollow's arms.

"So, you're the one." The hollow's voice was deep and it sounded like there was more than one person talking. Ulquiorra squinted as the hollow came into view. It was at least 20 feet tall with arms that appeared to be longer than its body. It moved toward Ulquiorra slowly and deliberately. "I didn't think you'd be so tiny and powerless," it said.

"Powerless?" Ulquiorra repeated dryly. This was the first time any hollow had taken an interest in him, let alone actually spoke to him. The only reason he knew of them was because Yoruichi had told him that the howling monsters were just that. He'd never actually seen one so close to him, let alone attacking him.

The hollow went to attack Ulquiorra again. "Let's see this great power you've supposedly inherited! Show me, boy!" It swiped at Ulquiorra once more, sending the young man through a few more walls. Some humans were unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire, leaving a bloody trail from the hollow's hand. "Get up, boy!"

Ulquiorra made it to his feet. In all honesty, he was surprised at how little damage he seemed to be taking. The only thing that was off was the dull ache in the back of his head. He assumed it had to do with that first blow he took where he was slammed into the wall. Just as he finished pulling himself to his feet, Ulquiorra saw the hollow attack again. He narrowed his large eyes minutely.

The hollow was taken by surprise as it felt its attack being blocked. When the dust cleared, it could see Ulquiorra holding his hand back with a single arm. Something about the boy's eyes seemed off. Smirking, the hollow used its other hand to grab Ulquiorra up. "Impressive show of strength, boy. However, brute strength won't save your life. You'll be easy enough to devour now."

The pain of having one's bones crushed was immense. Ulquiorra could not bring himself to scream in pain, though. The most he did to show his discomfort was grind his teeth together and throw his head back in anguish. The distress of having his body crushed only multiplied the pain in his head. The hollow was laughing maniacally while people were gasping and pointing at what appeared to be a floating man. No one else could see Ulquiorra's assailant. No one could help him.

_I'm going to die here today_, Ulquiorra thought morbidly. Strangely, he did not fear that revelation in any way. He was almost resigned to it. He slowly began to black out from the pain. Right before he lost consciousness, a flash of auburn and black crossed his line of sight.

* * *

Orihime slashed downward, slicing the hollow's arm off. The severed appendage fell, freeing the hollow's captive. She spared the victim a glance and then turned her attention back to the hollow. Without a word, she attacked once more while ignoring the hollow's cries of agony and curses of death. After dodging a few futile attacks, she sliced the hollow's mask down the center. A moment later, the hollow disintegrated.

The shinigami sheathed her zanpakuto and looked around. There were people where watching the scene with fear in their eyes. Orihime took out a memory modifier and smiled mischievously. After quickly modifying the memories of the surrounding witnesses, she walked over to the victim. Her eyes widened minutely. _It's Ulquiorra_! She immediately gathered him up and headed back to the apartment building.

* * *

Yoruichi peered around the corner not too far from where Orihime and Ulquiorra had been. She'd immediately come to Ulquiorra's aid, but Orihime had beaten her to the punch. From her reaction to seeing him injured, Yoruichi deduced quickly that Orihime had met Ulquiorra before. But where was she taking him? The cat-woman decided to follow discreetly. She was shocked when she learned that Orihime brought him back to his own apartment building, but to a different apartment.

The redhead nearly kicked in the apartment door. Her gigai was lounging on the couch and watching the TV. The gigai immediately got out of the way as Orihime laid Ulquiorra down. "He's in pretty bad shape." Orihime looked him over. His body was crushed. There was no telling how many broken or fractured bones he had. The only thing that seemed to remain safe was his skull, but he was still bleeding from some unseen wound there. His breathing was becoming shallower and shallower, as if it was hard for even his lungs to expand. There was only one thing Orihime could do. She took out her zanpakuto.

Yoruichi landed on the balcony of the apartment and gazed through the glass doors in her cat form. She watched as Orihime sheathed her zanpakuto. Ulquiorra's body did not stir. Orihime reentered her gigai and sat down next to him. Yoruichi decided to continue to watch for now. Orihime seemed to be unsure of what to do next. She began searching Ulquiorra's pockets. Her face was flushing as she tentatively felt around in his pockets.

Finally, Orihime found what appeared to be Ulquiorra's keys. Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. She looked closer at the building. _This is Ulquiorra's apartment building. Rangiku's spare apartment is here_? Yoruichi was slightly alarmed by this. Orihime heaved Ulquiorra over her shoulder. It was amazing that she could heave him over her shoulder like that while in her gigai. Yoruichi watched until she could no longer see Orihime before she began to hop across balconies to get to Ulquiorra's.

* * *

Orihime fumbled with the keys. She tried the first two to no avail. The third was the charm and she practically kicked Ulquiorra's door open once it was unlocked. She trekked inside, taking care not to hit Ulquiorra's head on anything. She was unprepared for the sheer cleanliness of the place. She figured it would be a bachelor pad but never had she seen the living quarters of anyone so spotless. Orihime was almost afraid to touch anything.

_I guess finding his bedroom would make sense_, she thought as Ulquiorra groaned and twitched on her shoulder. Panicking somewhat, Orihime began peeking in rooms to find his bedroom. It was the last room down the hall. She slipped in silently and put Ulquiorra down on his futon. He groaned again but did not wake up. Orihime smiled and sat his keys on his desk before hurrying out of the room.

On her way out, Orihime noticed what appeared to be a small shrine. There was a picture of a woman with short auburn hair and green eyes smiling at the camera. Orihime glanced back towards Ulquiorra's room and then approached the small shrine. She knelt down and peered at the picture closer. The woman's eyes were the exact color of Ulquiorra's. Other than that, she looked nothing like him. Orihime looked around the room. This was the only picture in the entire apartment from what she could see.

"She must've been really special," Orihime whispered. She stood up and left, locking the bottom lock and disappearing through the door.

* * *

Urahara looked up as Yoruichi walked in the shop. She was still in her cat form. "I take it Ulquiorra did not need your assistance," he said.

"No. Orihime Inoue came to his rescue. Did you know Rangiku Matsumoto's apartment is next door to Ulquiorra's? How did we miss that?" Yoruichi asked. Urahara smirked and Yoruichi noticed it. She jumped up on the counter and got in his face. "You knew!"

The shopkeeper opened up his fan and hid his face. "I knew nothing of the sort! It just seems to be strange coincidence. I had no idea where Vice-Captain Matsumoto rented her apartment for when she comes to the world of the living. We have been lucky that during most of her tenures here, Ulquiorra has been away in Kagamino City." Urahara's face grew serious. "Was he injured?"

Yoruichi narrowed her golden eyes before looking away from Urahara. "He stood up rather well to the hollow's onslaught. Ulquiorra's always had some semblance of how to use his strength. I'm surprised he's never asked where it comes from."

"You don't think he remembers seeing his father?" Urahara asked, removing his bucket hat. He sat it down on the counter and leaned forward.

"No. Either his mother wiped his memory before she put him in the closet or he's blocked out the memories of that day. My money is on the latter because he remembers his mother just fine." Yoruichi stretched out over the counter. "I'm concerned about where this will go, Kisuke."

* * *

Ulquiorra woke up with a loud gasp. He looked around and realized he was in his own bedroom. He immediately sat up, bringing a hand to his aching head. Then he realized how good he felt. Besides the headache, he felt great. _But my bones were crushed. I was crushed in the hand of that hollow. What happened? How did I get here_? He racked his brain. Aside from the hollow all he could remember seeing was a strip of auburn before he lost consciousness. He shook his head and stood up.

He made his way to the kitchen in the dark. Night had fallen and Ulquiorra did not feel like offending his eyes just yet. When he arrived at the kitchen, he only turned on the light over the stove. He grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and began chugging.

_**ULQUIORRA**_!

Ulquiorra dropped the bottle of water, wincing in pain. He stepped away from the counter and knocked into the refrigerator. The pounding in his head multiplied as he heard his name being practically yelled at him from inside his own mind. Suddenly, the pain ceased. Ulquiorra opened his eyes. He found that he had somehow slid down the refrigerator side. He leaned up against it. For a moment, he was confused.

* * *

_What was that_? Orihime looked up from setting up her video monitor in the back room of the apartment. She could have been mistaken, but there was a significant burst of reiatsu from somewhere around her. It was a strange reiatsu and it was far greater than any she'd ever felt. It rivaled any captain's. _But who could be that strong around here? Was it Urahara? No, that reiatsu was too... twisted. Bu it's gone now_, she thought.

Shrugging it off for now, Orihime went back to putting the video monitor together. It was what Urahara had given her in the big box. She would be able to communicate with Soul Society this way. As she continued to follow the directions to putting the monitor together, her mind traveled back to seeing her new neighbor so hurt.

"I wonder if he's okay," Orihime whispered as she sat back on her knees. It was very late, so she decided that going to check on him was decidedly a bad idea. Then she snapped. "I'll just go as a shinigami! He won't be able to see me." She got up from her position on the floor and went in search of her soul candy.

Getting into Ulquiorra's apartment was easy enough. For some reason, he had not locked the balcony door that lead to his living room. Orihime easily and quietly slipped through it. She looked around the dark room. There was light coming from the kitchen. Orihime moved stealthily towards it. When she peered around the corner, she saw Ulquiorra on the floor. He was leaning against the refrigerator. There was an empty bottle on the floor. Ulquiorra did not appear to be hurt. He just looked tired.

Orihime flinched when his eyes moved to her. She mentally berated herself, telling herself that he could not see her anyway. There was no need for her to be jumpy and self-conscious. _I'm pretty sure he can't even sense my presence_, she thought.

"Woman, how did you get into my apartment?"


	3. Chapter 3: Dinner and a Hollow

**Within**

**Chapter 3: Dinner and a Hollow**

* * *

Orihime froze where she stood. _How can he see me? He shouldn't be able to see me at all_! She was panicking. She was not supposed to let anyone see her. Technically, even if he was spiritually aware, he should not be able to see her. Orihime stood there for a moment longer in silence. _His reiatsu is abnormally high for a human_.

"Are you going to answer me, woman?" Despite his still-aching head, Ulquiorra managed to get to his feet and glare at Orihime. "Is there a reason I should not call the authorities?"

She could not help but look smug. "You can if you want to, but they can't arrest what they can't see. As far as they would be concerned, I'm still next door watching the television." At least, that's what she hoped her gigai was doing. "But, how can you see me?"

Ulquiorra's general countenance did not change but the look in his eyes did. "You are a physical being. Why would I not be able to see you?" he asked. He approached Orihime and stood a few feet from her. Her hair color reminded him of his mother.

"Humans should not be able to see me."

"And why not? I can see you just fine."

Orihime crossed her arms. "For starters, I am not a physical being. I am a shinigami," she said haughtily. She expected some sort of reaction from Ulquiorra but she got none.

"Shinigami or not, it does not tell me why you are standing in my living room without invitation."

The redhead sighed and uncrossed her arms. "Do you remember what happened earlier today?" she asked.

"I remember being attacked by a hollow..."

"So you know what a hollow is but not what a shinigami is?"

"I have seen hollows before. I have never been attacked by one, though," Ulquiorra said. His eyes narrowed very slightly. "You destroyed the hollow from earlier."

Orihime watched as he seemed to piece together the moments that were missing from his memory. "Uh, yeah. The reason I was coming over was to check on you. You were pretty banged up from the attack. I healed you and put you back in your room."

Ulquiorra appeared confused for a moment. "Healed me?" He took in Orihime's appearance once again. "What is it that you do exactly?"

"I, uh..." Orihime was not exactly sure she was supposed to be telling Ulquiorra about what her job was. After all, he was a simple human who just happened to be spiritually aware enough in order to see pluses, hollows, and apparently shinigami. He was not supposed to know exactly what went on in her world, though. "I'm like a ferryman for souls of the dead. I help them move on."

"So why did you save me?"

"That's also part of my job. I kill the hollows who try to eat souls of humans and the souls that have already died and are lingering in this world. So, I guess that makes me like... what did Rukia call them... a superhero! I'm a superhero," Orihime said happily.

Ulquiorra stared blandly at Orihime for a moment. He pieced together a few more memories of the attack on him earlier. The hollow seemed to know who he was and wanted him for something. _Something about power_, he thought. Ulquiorra glanced at Orihime, who was twirling a lock of her hair while looking around his living room. _Should I tell her about it_? Choosing not to, he placed his hands in his pockets.

Orihime noticed his silence. "Listen, I feel awful about sneaking into your apartment without your permission. How about I make it up to you! I could... make you dinner! I'm inviting you to dinner tomorrow night!"

"You'd just invite a stranger into your apartment?"

"You're not exactly a stranger anymore, Ulquiorra. Plus, you never know when another hollow might come looking for a midnight snack." It was said in jest, but the joke seemed to be lost on Ulquiorra. He just glared back at Orihime. She cleared her throat and began backing away from him. "Well, uh, I better get going. I don't want to wear out my welcome." She turned and nearly bolted for the balcony. She went through the doors and jumped over the edge.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened. Was she insane? He did not realize he called out for her and ran forward. By the time he got close to the balcony, Orihime had popped her head back up over the railing and was looking around frantically. Ulquiorra slowed to a stop, raising an eyebrow that she was even still alive.

"What? Is there another hollow around? Did I miss something?" Orihime hopped back over the railing. "What's wrong? Why did you call me back?"

"You just jumped over the railing of a balcony that is on the seventh story. That isn't normal." Ulquiorra peered over the railing. "How did you not die?"

Orihime stared at him for a moment. Then she started giggling uncontrollably. After a minute, she pulled herself together. "I'm a shinigami, silly! All I have to do is gather reishi under my feet and I can... float." Orihime jumped up on the railing. She stood up straight and then took a few steps away from it. She turned around and waved at Ulquiorra. "My apartment is right over there." She pointed to a balcony to the left of Ulquiorra. With a wave, she trotted over to it and went inside.

Ulquiorra stepped back inside his own apartment. His day and night had been rather eventful. He knew he should probably be a bit disturbed by what he saw, but for some reason he was not. He was far more concerned with why he felt so disconnected from himself. What was that voice he'd heard? Where had that severe pain come from? What was going on with him?

* * *

Shinji Hirako did not visit the Urahara Shop often. When he did, he usually had a great reason to. Though he and Urahara were on great speaking terms, he never felt the need to make social calls to the man. When he sauntered lazily into the rundown building, he was greeted by the man himself.

"Good afternoon, Hirako. What can I do for you today?" Urahara hid his face behind his fan, as usual. "It isn't often you make house calls."

"You know why I'm here, Urahara. Let's just get down to business. Where's Yoruichi?" Shinji looked at the products Urahara had for sale. He picked up a few and looked at them. He never had a need for a soul candy, as Urahara's special gigai let him fight spiritual beings without leaving it. He knew if he did leave it, he would immediately be detected by Soul Society.

"She's down in the underground room. She was complaining about being sore." Urahara left the counter and motioned for Shinji to follow him.

They found Yoruichi stretching out her limbs. She bent over and peered at the two men approaching through her spread legs. "Well hello, Shinji. To what do we owe this pleasure?"

Shinji sighed. "Why are you two acting like you don't know why I'm here?" He stopped and removed his pageboy hat. He leaned against a rock and looked back and forth between Urahara and Yoruichi. "Don't you guys think it's time?" he asked.

Yoruichi stood up straight and faced the two men. "Time for what, Shinji?"

"Don't bullshit me, Yoruichi. I know you've felt it. I know both of you have. He isn't going to last much longer in that gigai. Chances are he's already starting to feel it himself," Shinji retorted.

Urahara tapped his cane against his leg. He knew Shinji was referring to Ulquiorra. It was obvious to anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of sensing reiatsu that Ulquiorra's was odd and that it was starting to fluctuate constantly. Urahara was unsure if Ulquiorra himself noticed it. If he did, he did an excellent job at hiding it while he was visiting the day before.

Yoruichi was narrowing her golden eyes at Shinji. After a moment, she sighed and looked away from him. "She wanted him to live a life of peace. She didn't want him to become involved with this world," she said.

Shinji knew Yoruichi was talking about Ulquiorra's late mother, Kokoro. He had not known her on a personal level, but he'd spent enough time in her company to understand her situation and why she wanted to remain hidden. The young woman had been adamant that Ulquiorra never be aware of his true origins. Shinji had watched as Ulquiorra questioned seeing a ghost and Kokoro had told him he was simply gifted. It was not unheard of for humans to see ghosts if they had enough spiritual awareness, so Ulquiorra would most likely think nothing of it. Still, being half hollow made Shinji question Ulquiorra's very existence. He was not so bold as to propose death, but he had to wonder what would happen if Ulquiorra's true form was ever unlocked.

"Unless something forces him out of his gigai, nothing will happen," Yoruichi said firmly. She did not want to believe that such a thing could happen; even if a hollow had attempted it the day before. "He will continue to live as a human."

"Yoruichi, you know as well as I do that ain't gonna happen. Hollows are coming for him. I don't know why, but sooner or later one of them is gonna do it. What happens then? The boy has no concept of what he is and every day that he's left in the dark, the more dangerous it becomes when he learns. What do you think he will be like?" Shinji crossed his arms.

"Well, what do you propose we do? Just lay it on him that he's not human; that everything he knows is a lie? That his mother wasn't human and his father was even further from one? How would you feel if you found all that out?"

Shinji sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I know for a fact that I'd be _pissed_, but also relieved to know that there's a reason why I've always felt _alone_." He put his hat back on. "Whenever he is told, I'll be waiting." He left the underground room, leaving a silent Urahara and a fuming Yoruichi.

The shopkeeper remained silent for a few moments. He knew better than to interrupt Yoruichi's thoughts while she was brooding. The cat-woman had become attached to Ulquiorra. She felt as though he was her own flesh and blood. Urahara knew she treated Ulquiorra as though he was her little brother. For years, she'd protected him from a distance. The shopkeeper took a seat on a large rock and waited patiently for Yoruichi to gather herself.

"I don't want to tell him. He deserves to live his life in peace and never have to deal with this world. What if someone from Soul Society finds out he's still alive?" she asked.

Urahara cleared his throat. "It seems as though the new shinigami has already met Ulquiorra from what you told me. Luckily, I don't think she's felt anything suspicious about him, so we don't need to worry. She doesn't seem the type to turn Ulquiorra in for a crime he has yet to commit. However, he has to know at some point. If some random hollow does not separate his soul manually, then Ulquiorra's soul will find a way to separate on its own. It's rejecting being cooped up."

Yoruichi dropped to the ground and sat with her legs crossed. "We'll tell him. Not now, but we'll tell him before anything too bad can happen."

"The new shinigami will look out for him. I'm positive of that."

The violet-haired woman raised an eyebrow at Urahara. "You have faith in that girl, I see. Why do you speak so highly of her character?"

Urahara smiled and placed his hat back on his head. He pictured Orihime and her warm smile. "There are some people you meet and you just feel at ease around them. They can brighten any darkened day. They can make all the ill emotions feel as if they never existed. They are incorruptible pureness. That girl is like that."

* * *

Ulquiorra knocked on the neighboring apartment's door. He heard a muffled reply and some loud fumbling. He jumped as he heard something hit the door. When the door finally swung open, a rosy-cheeked Orihime stood in front of him, smiling bright. "I did not disturb you?"

Orihime shook her head quickly. "Of course not! You're right on time." The two stared at one another for a moment. Orihime then slapped her forehead and stepped to the side. "Come in! Come in!"

Ulquiorra entered slowly. Orihime shut the door behind him and hurried back to the kitchen. Ulquiorra removed his shoes and followed her. By the time he got halfway to the kitchen, his senses were overwhelmed with curious smells. The smells were competing with each other for dominance. Ulquiorra briefly wondered how Orihime could stand being in the kitchen. Not wanting to be rude, he did not leave. Instead, he leaned against the wall and watched her flutter about the kitchen.

"I didn't really know what you liked, so I decided to give you a lot of options," Orihime said, looking over her shoulder at him. "I made udon and miso and some salmon..." She trailed off as she somehow managed to fix bowls and plates of her food.

"You didn't have to slave over all of this. Miso would've been enough. I am grateful, though."

Orihime giggled at his mechanical response to her feast. She quickly set the table in the dining area. She motioned for Ulquiorra to have a seat. Once they were both settled at the small table, Orihime looked around at the dishes. Then she snapped. "I forgot the best part!" She ran back to the kitchen. She returned with a tube of something. When she held it up, Ulquiorra almost wanted to contort his face.

"Wasabi paste?" he inquired.

"Yeah! It tastes great on almost anything. The only thing I wouldn't put it with is red bean paste. Other than that, wasabi tastes good on anything." Orihime happily splattered the paste on practically everything before holding the tube out towards Ulquiorra. "Would you like some?"

"No, thank you." Ulquiorra looked down at his food. He moved towards the udon first.

They ate in silence for the most part. Ulquiorra found her cooking to be interesting but palatable nonetheless. Every now and then she would ask about him and his life. He responded in clear, concise answers that did not leave a lot up to discussion. Ulquiorra would be the first to admit that he was not a talker. He could sense that Orihime was trying to find some way to keep the conversation going.

"Tell me about yourself," he said suddenly.

Orihime blinked a few times, startled by his voice in the silence. Then she smiled at him nervously. "Oh, I'm not that interesting. I'm just your regular shinigami."

"I don't know any shinigami," Ulquiorra said plainly.

Even though Ulquiorra had told her that he knew nothing of shinigami, Orihime still found it hard to believe. Someone with his amount of reiatsu would have had to see at least one shinigami in his lifetime. According to him, he had not. "Well, I come from a place called Soul Society. I don't really know how long I've been there, but I assume it's been maybe two hundred years," she said thoughtfully.

Ulquiorra looked up at Orihime. "You don't look two hundred."

"Shinigami age slower than humans. I think Yamamoto is well over two thousand years old. He looks it, though. Although Unohana might be at least around that age, but she looks significantly younger."

"Clearly the aging process is not linear."

"Well, no. Regular souls in Soul Society usually linger for about sixty years before being tossed back into the reincarnation pool."

This piqued Ulquiorra's interest. "Reincarnation?"

"Yep. Souls are recycled unless they become shinigami and even then once a shinigami dies they enter the reincarnation pool as well. It's really just an endless circle of life." Orihime ate a piece of the salmon that was dripping with the paste. "The only thing I think that sucks about being constantly reincarnated is that each time, you forget who you were originally. You have to start over. What about all the friends and family you leave behind? You won't even remember them."

Ulquiorra watched as Orihime slipped into deep thought. Her expression turned melancholy. "So are shinigami the law enforcement in... Soul Society?"

Orihime snapped out of her trance and smiled at Ulquiorra. "Not really. Shinigami usually just take care of threats to the human world and Soul Society; threats being hollows and other activity that threatens the balance of souls. We leave the _governing_ to the people in the Rukongai. That's where regular souls live. Nobility and shinigami live in the Seireitei."

_She seems happy if she can continue explaining her world. I wonder why she grows sad when she thinks of her existence. I wonder if all shinigami do that_, Ulquiorra thought. He sipped his tea for the first time. Surprised by the taste, he had to swallow quickly before he had time to gag. Usually he could take odd tastes in stride but the tea's flavor was particularly horrible.

"Are you finished?" Orihime asked. She began gathering her plates up. Ulquiorra nodded, still trying to detach himself from the odd-tasting tea. Orihime smiled at him and began clearing the table. Ulquiorra moved to help her. "Oh no, Ulquiorra. You are a guest and will be treated as such. Have a seat." Orihime touched his arm to push him gently back in his seat.

The raven-haired young man looked up at Orihime as she paused momentarily. She was looking down at him with a mixture of surprise and what looked like fear. Realizing how she must appear to him, she began quickly gathering the empty dishes. She was gone to the kitchen faster than Ulquiorra could ask her what was wrong.

In the kitchen, Orihime dumped the dishes in the sink and began washing them. She peeked back at Ulquiorra for a moment. He was just sitting there, staring at the wall. _His reiatsu is so distorted. It was like touching a shinigami and a hollow at the same time. But he's just a human. His reiatsu is high, but a lot of humans in the area have significant reiatsu that can attract hollows_, she thought. She barely realized she had been washing the same dish for two minutes.

Ulquiorra could sense Orihime's distress. It seemed odd that her demeanor could change so quickly. He had not been around many women. Yoruichi was pretty much the only person he could base his theories about women off of. Just by looking at her, he could tell Yoruichi was not like any other woman. _She seems spooked. I wonder what has made her so_. He took a glance at his watch. It was nearly midnight. Had they really been talking that long? Ulquiorra stood and made his way into the kitchen.

"It is late. I should go." He watched Orihime nearly jump out of her skin. She calmed down and smiled up at him.

"Your voice is very distinctive. It surprised me a little." She took a glance at the clock in the room. "You're right. It is late. Let me show you out. Um..." Orihime searched around for a towel to wipe her hands off.

"I can find my way out. Thank you for the meal. It was lovely," he said.

Orihime watched him nod at her. Biting lip, she called after him. He turned to look at her. "Let's, um, do something else sometime. I'm in the transient world on assignment but that doesn't mean I can't take breaks," she said with a smile.

Ulquiorra nodded and bowed slightly. "Very well," he said. He turned back around and continued out.

_What a strange man. He's so... introverted_, Orihime thought as she heard the front door close. Then she giggled. _Rangiku would absolutely hate him_. Orihime paused once again as her senses picked up a hollow not too far from the apartment. It appeared to be heading towards her.

"But why... Ulquiorra!" Orihime turned off the faucet and ran to find her soul candy. She found it in her purse and ate it. Stumbling out of her body, she glanced back at her gigai. "Stay here!" She left through the balcony.

* * *

Yoruichi was already tailing the hollow. Predictably, it was heading in Ulquiorra's direction. She wondered if Ulquiorra had picked up on it yet. _I can't let it get much closer to Ulquiorra's. Kisuke thinks his reiatsu will react to being in the vicinity of another powerful hollow_. She picked up speed. Before she could attack the hollow, she had to skid to a stop as it was knocked to the ground. Yoruichi immediately took cover. She saw the redhead shinigami had arrived.

The hollow shook off the attack quickly and was attacking Orihime before she could draw her zanpakuto. The shinigami moved back a few feet as she drew her zanpakuto. The hollow stopped right before it made it to her. The kido net began to glow. Orihime raised her zanpakuto and sliced into the hollow's head.

"I could've sworn you were more powerful than that. I guess I was..." Something dark flew past Orihime's eyes. She gasped as she was pulled backwards, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"You should be more alert," Yoruichi said as she released Orihime. The younger shinigami whirled and faced Yoruichi, holding her zanpakuto out defensively. "I am not the one who attacked you. This hollow is not like the other mindless beast you just killed."

Orihime took her eyes off of Yoruichi just in time for both of them to avoid an attack from their unseen assailant. Orihime instinctively raised her zanpakuto to block another attack. The impact sent Orihime flying to the ground. Yoruichi caught her again. She lowered them to the ground.

"Fighting in the air will not do us any good," Orihime said as she stood, looking around for the hollow.

"If we don't, fight it, then it will just continue on with its plan. We have to go on the attack."

"It's so fast..." Orihime whispered as she looked to the sky. She could not see the hollow, but she could hear it. It was zipping around at an alarmingly fast rate. Her eyes widened when she noticed the bright yellow light directly in front of her. The words to call on her zanpakuto were barely out of her mouth before the hollow released the _cero_.

Yoruichi shielded Orihime with her body. However, something else had blocked the _cero_. She glanced up and saw a red shield in front of them. Turning her head, she could see Urahara approaching them, _Benihime_ unsheathed and released.

* * *

Ulquiorra dropped to his knees. His eyes were wide and he was panting as if he had just finished a sprint. He could not get enough oxygen into his lungs. His chest ached and his heart raced. Yet, when he put a hand to his heart, he could feel nothing. There was no racing heart. There was nothing beating. But it felt as if he could hear it. He could hear the pumping of his blood and somewhere in the back of his mind, there was a chanting of his name.

_What's happening to me? I can barely move_, he thought. After a few moments Ulquiorra dragged himself to his feet. Leaning against the wall for support, he made his way down the hall to the living room. Just as he threw himself down on the couch, he saw a flash of light from the balcony. Curious, he stood up shakily and made his way to the balcony. Below him, he could see Orihime climbing out of a small crater her body had made.

"Orihime!" It was Yoruichi.

_What is she doing out there? Is she_...

* * *

Orihime could see Urahara had taken over for her. Yoruichi was running to see if she was okay. The redhead handed her zanpakuto to Yoruichi. "Hold this for me," she said.

Yoruichi was confused as she took hold of Orihime's zanpakuto. "But, don't you need this?" Her confusion grew when Orihime began moving towards where Urahara and the hollow were fighting. Sighing, Yoruichi followed after her.

Urahara was having a hard time fending off the hollow alone. Anything he threw at it was simply brushed off. What was worse was that they were being pushed towards Ulquiorra's apartment building. _This isn't good. This isn't good at all_, he thought. He turned to see Orihime stopped moving towards them. _Where the hell is her zanpakuto? What the hell is she thinking? She'll be killed_.

"Reject, _Shun Shun Rikka_!" she yelled. Instead of her katana changing form, the two pins in Orihime's hair glowed. "_Koten Zanshun_, I reject!"

Urahara had to bend backwards in order to avoid being hit with the bright light that zoomed towards the hollow at amazing speed. It went straight for the hollow's head. The hollow simply disappeared and reappeared back in front of Orihime. _Sonido. Exactly how powerful is this hollow_? Urahara moved quickly to defend Orihime.

"_Santen Kesshun_, I reject!" Orihime blurted out. An orange shield appeared just as the hollow's hand came down to attack her. The shield held the hollow in place. "Now!"

Yoruichi flew towards them, getting ready to slice off the hollow's head. She had to divert her path at the last second and take Orihime with her to avoid another split-second _cero_. Once again, Urahara's own shield blocked the attack on them. "What is going to take to stop this thing?" she whispered.

* * *

Crouching down a few rooftops over, another hollow watched its partner. _They'll never beat him like that. He's too fast for the likes of them. Although that redhead is indeed crafty. Her powers are far different from regular shinigami_, the other hollow mused. It looked towards Ulquiorra's apartment building. It could see Ulquiorra hiding in the shadows behind the glass doors of his balcony. The hollow stood.

* * *

Ulquiorra clutched his chest again. Something to the right of him caught his eye. He immediately stepped back and shielded his face just as the glass doors shattered. _What the hell was that_?

* * *

"Shit!" Yoruichi yelled as she saw Ulquiorra's apartment being broken into. She released Orihime and started to move towards the balcony. Orihime watched as Urahara took over and then she followed after Yoruichi. The other woman was quite fast. As soon as she arrived on the balcony, she had to catch Ulquiorra. "Orihime, take him!"

Everything happened so fast after that.

Just as Orihime started to move backwards with Ulquiorra, something stabbed her from behind. She screamed and released Ulquiorra. Whatever stabbed her was pulled out and she began falling with Ulquiorra. She saw Ulquiorra somehow land on his feet. She was not going to question how he could do that but instead turned her body so that she would land correctly.

"You're hurt." Ulquiorra started to pull Orihime out of the line of fire. He could hear Urahara and Yoruichi fighting around him. He helped Orihime sit and examined her wound. "You're hurt badly." He pressed on the stab wound to quell some of the bleeding.

"I'll be fine. Just run away from here and hide. It's too dangerous for you to stay around for much longer," Orihime whispered hoarsely.

"I have a feeling they'll find me wherever I..." He noticed how Orihime's eyes widened. He turned his head to see yet another dark figure standing above him. Orihime tried to move but Ulquiorra held her in place, shielding her from whatever attack might be coming. She was yelling at him to run. "What do you want?" he asked the mysterious figure.

Something bright impaled Ulquiorra through his sternum; right through where his heart should be. "To set you free," the mystery person said. They withdrew their weapon and disappeared just as fast. Ulquiorra fell forward and landed on his chest.

Orihime forced herself to move and look at Ulquiorra. "Ulquiorra? Ulquiorra, look at me!" She could barely see from her blood loss. She saw something dark leaking from beneath Ulquiorra and soaking the back of his shirt. It was too dark to be blood and probably much thicker. Ulquiorra's eyes were still wide open but he was showing no signs of life. "Soten Kisshun!"

Urahara ran around to the alley. Without warning, the hollow he was battling had disappeared. He heard Orihime's cries and had come running. The shield that covered them both appeared to be healing Orihime, but it was doing nothing for Ulquiorra. After a moment, the shield dissipated and Orihime sat up and shook Ulquiorra.

"Ulquiorra! Ulquiorra!" Orihime's hairpins reformed in her hair. "Why didn't it work? Why hasn't he been healed?" Her hand touched the black substance that was spread out around Ulquiorra's body.

"Because he's not dead," a new voice said. Orihime and Urahara turned to see Shinji approaching. "I think we should go to my place."


End file.
